Mystery Junction [DVD]

Not that good.

I have been waiting since November to see this DVD from NETWORK (since Hamish's preview!). Was it worth the wait and the anticipation? Well, Yes, Mostly! Given it's age and obscurity the transfer is excellent, 4.3 ratio, clear picture and good sound. No subtitles.. Hamish and Mr Chapman sum up the plot...Several Disparate (lovely word) characters on a train, then stranded at the "Mystery Junction". A mystery writer, policemen, crooks and girls, what more could a mystery lover want. Not a lot actually, tho I did get the feeling the writers were sometimes trying just a bit too hard to keep you guessing, but for 60 minutes you have little time to be bored or question the action. A grand cast helps. Sidney Tafler proving he doesn't always play the spiv. Early performences from Barbara Murray (dynamite haircut Babs!) and Pat(ricia) Owens, a bigger than usual part for Martin Benson who steals the film and solid backup from David Davies, John Salew, Cyril Smith and more. One more thing...I didn't guess the ending! Merton Park and genre fans should like this. If I could I would have given 3 1/2 stars because 4 is perhaps being a wee bit generous.

I have been waiting to have a good copy of this film for decades. I asked Network if they would add this to their Merton Park releases and they have done so. This film is rather like a filmed play in many respects and so you have to listen to the dialogue. This was quite normal for the period. The characters are interesting amd varied and first time around it was a surprise to find out who had done it. The film is very well photographed and the sound is excellent. The budget was not huge but the actors make up for it with spirited performances. I do know that director Michael McCarthy was destined for major work but sadly died at an early age. He had been an actor, writer and director within the industry since the early 1940s. These films were made by the studios along with a huge number of documentary subjects and advertising films too. As the 1950s progressed so did the number of entertainment films the studios produced. The key skill required of any director at Merton Park was to deliver the goods on time. Michael McCarthy did this and in the mid 1950s wrote & directed one of the most ambitious of CFF productions "John of the Fair" made at Merton Park.This lovely glossy film was so good to watch having only previously seen TV broadcasts that were fuzzy throughout and it made me revisit his other films also available on DVD such as "Assassin for Hire" (Network).

I love the cheap and cheerful B movies from Merton Park and this is no exception. It's virtually a two-act two-set 'whodunnit', with a few exterior stills to set the scene. Imagine 'Key Largo' crossed with Agatha Christie and you have the picture. All the ingredients are here: an isolated group of disparate characters, a convoluted back story, plenty of twists and turns before the final unmasking, all brought in at a shade over sixty minutes, ending with a delightful jeu d'esprit coda that puts the cherry on the cake.The great Sidney Tafler - for once not playing a spiv - is the crime writer hero, forced to take on the role of Poirot and Barbara Murray is delightful, providing warming cups of tea and moral support, as his 'Girl Friday'.The isolated group is an ever popular situation, witness the success of 'And then there were none' over Christmas, which makes me think that 'Mystery Junction' might well be 'The Hateful Eight' for those who dislike potty language and gratuitous violence.

A prisoner is being taken to his trial by train when one of the detectives escorting him is murdered. Sydney Tafler, Barbara Murray and fellow passengers become snowbound at a remote railway station and it's a race against time to unmask the culprit before he or she strikes again. The ending is a little predictable and the bodies do pile up but it keeps your attention to the very last.

This DVD arrived on time and in good condition. This was a fairly good story as mysteries go and it was fairly complicated most of the time, no Agatha Christie story but pretty good all the same. We enjoyed watching it and I am sure others will to.

Hadnt seen this before but enjoyed watching it

Charming release by BFI.